SAPPORO — The population of Japan’s northernmost prefecture Hokkaido dropped 244,342, or 4.7%, to 4,980,272 from 2020 to 2025, the largest decline of any of the country’s 47 prefectures, according to final national census results released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

This was the first time since the 1955 census that Hokkaido’s population has been under 5 million. Japan conducts a national census every five years, and the results of the 2025 census were released in September.

By municipality, Hokkaido’s capital Sapporo saw its population decrease for the first time since the census began in 1920, falling by 11,399 to 1,961,996. The city of Asahikawa recorded a decline of 23,876, the 11th-largest decrease among municipalities nationwide, while the city of Hakodate’s drop of 20,775 was the 15th largest.

The population increased in nine municipalities, including the town of Nanporo, which gained 564 residents, and the city of Eniwa, which added 543. Nanporo appears to have benefited not only from being close to Sapporo but also from measures such as generous subsidies for home purchases. Eniwa has convenient access to both Sapporo and New Chitose Airport, while the planned relocation of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters’ farm team to the city is expected to provide a further boost.

The population also grew in the city of Chitose, where Tokyo-based Rapidus Corp. has established operations as it works toward the mass production of next-generation semiconductors, and in Higashikawa, a town popular with people looking to relocate.

Hokkaido’s working-age population, comprising people aged 15 to 64, stood at more than 2.83 million, accounting for 56.9% of the total. However, the proportion was down 0.3 percentage points from the previous census as the population continued to age. Meanwhile, the number of foreign residents nearly doubled from the previous census to 68,638, accounting for 1.4% of Hokkaido’s total population. Labor shortages may have contributed to the increase.

When the preliminary census results were released in May, Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki said, “Although the national government has taken steps such as establishing the Children and Families Agency, the birth rate continues to decline. We want to promote initiatives that capitalize on Hokkaido’s strengths and encourage people from Japan and abroad to choose Hokkaido.”

(Japanese original by Takumi Taniguchi, Hokkaido News Department)